so, besides frank, has no one tried what hyperion is suggesting? cooking a meatloaf in a low and slow way to create a better texture?

i've seen sous vide ground beef and steamed hamburgers that were supposed to be really good. the key being the low temp and the moisture. but the conundrum is that the beauty in a meatloaf is partly due to the crust, glazed or not.

Maybe cook low and slow, then pop under the broiler? That would give you the tender interior, with a crusty exterior.

A thought: I had meatloaf in a worker cafeteria once that had pretty good flavor, but was so soft as to be mush. It was defenitely not something I'd want on my plate again. I don't think the bad texture was due as much to the cooking method, as it was to the added filler.

There has to be enough solidity in the meatloaf to give you a good mouthfeel. Mushy meatloaf is like eating pre-chewed hamburger, or so my imagination would lend me to believe.

So be careful with jsut how tender your meatloaf is. You just might have to turn it into soup.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

__________________“No amount of success outside the home can compensate for failure within the home…"

Back when I was working, I used to cook meatloaf in the crock pot sometimes. There's no crispy crust, but it tastes delicious. Put a piece of foil under it and up the sides of the pot to help you lift it out when it's done. It's been a while, but seems to me that I skipped the catsup topping when I did it that way.

I have been a Meatloaf lover since I was a small child. We were allowed to pick our Birthday Supper and while my siblings always chose expensive things like Shrimp and Steak, I wanted Meatloaf, creamed corn, mashed taters and gravy with grilled asparagus. OMG, that meal was my favorite in the entire world, and still is!

I love Meatloaf sandwiches, so nothing that would be weird when cold should be in the meatloaf. I like the onions still a tad crunchy and the meatloaf firm enough to slice without falling apart.

I use "Stubbs" spicy BBQ sauce in the meatloaf and on it as a topping. I also put "Old Bay" seasoning in it. Heck, I put Old Bay in almost everything I cook. I don't even bother with putting the can away. It lives on my kitchen counter.

I make my meatloaf in two small glass loaf pans that each hold half the amount of a standard meatloaf recipe. They fit into my Toaster oven and it cooks meatloaf perfectly.

The smaller loaf pans are *exactly* the size of a slice of bread, so the sliced meatloaf comes out sized perfectly for sandwiches.

I haven't made meatloaf in a long time. I don't mind it myself (especially having the leftovers in sandwiches ), but my wife and daughter LOVE Salisbury Steak. To me it's like the perfect cross between meatloaf and meatballs. I make them using a mix of ribeye steak and short ribs. Chop the meat in the food processor, add your bindings and herbs, sear on the outside, and then slow simmer in the oven in a mushroom gravy sauce.

I find that the slow simmering in gravy makes them melt in your mouth. I think the same technique would work great for meatloaf, too.

By the way, I've been told my Salisbury Steaks are so good that you don't need anything else on the plate. Ok, it was the girls who told me that. Maybe they are a little biased?